#Columbusing

Term for white people/mainstream culture “discovering” things minorities have known about for years.

Quick Facts

Origin & Impact

#Columbusing emerged from a College Humor video satirizing how white/mainstream culture “discovers” foods, trends, or practices that have existed in minority communities for years—then gets credit for the “discovery.” The term referenced Christopher Columbus “discovering” an inhabited continent.

The hashtag sparked sharp cultural commentary about appropriation, credit, and who gets to define what’s “trendy” versus “ethnic.” Examples included foods like quinoa or sriracha, hairstyles like cornrows being rebranded as “boxer braids,” or neighborhoods becoming “up-and-coming” after gentrification. #Columbusing became shorthand for discussing cultural appropriation and who benefits from trend cycles.

Related Hashtags

• #CulturalAppropriation
• #Gentrification
• #WhitePeopleTwitter
• #AppropriationNotAppreciation

References

• https://www.npr.org/
• https://www.vox.com/